UNB, Dhaka :Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves here for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday morning, aiming to further strengthen Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with the oil rich Gulf nation and increase manpower export.A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines will leave Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage around 8:30 am and is expected reach Abu Dhabi International Airport at about 11:30 am (UAE time).During the three-day UAE tour, she would have meetings with UAE Mother of the Nation Sheikh Fatima, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on October 26.Hasina will also attend a community reception there.On Monday, she will fly to Dubai to hold meeting with Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.After holding the meeting, the Prime Minister will fly to Ras al-Khaimah (RAK) for meeting with its ruler Sheikh Saud Bin Aaqr Al Qasimi. Before that, she will attend a luncheon to be hosted by the ruler of RAK.From there she will again fly to Dubai to catch the home-bound VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at about 4:45 pm and is expected to reach Dhaka at about 11:30 pm.According to Foreign Ministry sources, more than half a dozen agreements and memorandums of understanding on trade, manpower and investment are expected to be signed during the visit.The instruments likely to be signed between Bangladesh and the UAE include MoU on foreign office consultation, MoU with a UAE outsourcing company to resume manpower export.Besides, an agreement on repatriation of jailed people, an agreement on promotion and protection of investment, an agreement on establishing a hospital by Al-Nahyan Foundation, UAE, in Rangunia, Chittagong, an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders, another MoU on cooperation in higher education and scientific research and an agreement on handing over a piece of land in Dhaka for the UAE embassy.Meanwhile, the Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for signing an agreement between Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aiming to increase security cooperation between the two countries to control crimes.
